How to enrol
We are pleased to welcome your family to our school community.
Please visit the school website to enrol your child in a Catholic school.
You can use Find a school to locate a school near you.
Enrolment growth
In the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, we’re proud to have over 23,000 students enrolled across our community of Catholic schools and early learning centres, supported by around 3,000 dedicated teachers and support staff.
Our sustained growth in enrolments reflects the value parents from all backgrounds see in providing their child with a faith-based education.
Everyone is welcome in our schools
Our schools are inclusive, supportive communities where every student and family is valued, respected and welcomed.
We foster a genuine sense of belonging and provide opportunities for students to flourish academically, socially, spiritually and emotionally. Guided by dedicated teachers and strong partnerships with families, students are supported to reach their full potential.
Our schools nurture the whole person
Families choose Catholic education because of our holistic approach to learning.
Our schools nurture the whole person through:
- integral human development
- student wellbeing
- high academic standards
- values-based education
Our whole-person approach
Integral human development
Our Catholic schools are committed to the formation of the whole person.
We nurture each student’s spiritual, intellectual, physical, social and emotional development, helping them grow with confidence, purpose and compassion.
Student wellbeing
Student wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do, through dedicated wellbeing programs, specialist support services and inclusive learning environments.
We work closely with families to meet the diverse needs of all learners, including students needing additional support.
Strong academic growth
Our schools combine high academic standards with evidence-based teaching practices to help every student achieve their full potential.
Through explicit instruction, high-impact teaching strategies and personalised learning support, we equip students with the knowledge, skills and capabilities they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world and for success in further education, employment and life.
Values-based education
A Catholic education is grounded in Gospel values and a commitment to human dignity, respect and service; students are encouraged to develop strong character, make ethical decisions and contribute positively to their communities.
Through faith, learning and service, young people in our schools become compassionate, responsible and engaged citizens who make a meaningful difference in the world.
Find a school
Use the Find a school feature to explore Catholic schools in your area and find the right school for your family.
Priority enrolment areas
ACT Catholic primary schools and early learning centres are grouped into priority enrolment areas (PEAs). A PEA is the geographic area assigned to a school. This helps you identify the local Catholic school for enrolment.
ACT Catholic secondary colleges and NSW Catholic primary schools do not have PEAs.
Who can enrol
We accept enrolment applications from families of all backgrounds and faith traditions who are seeking a Catholic education.
If the school has more applications than places, they will give priority in accordance with the Catholic Education Enrolment Policy and the enrolment priority levels. The priority levels are clear guidelines that all our schools follow to make sure their process is fair and consistent for everyone.
How to enrol
Join a welcoming Catholic school community where every child is known and valued and can learn to seek and love the truth.
We welcome enrolment applications from students and families of all backgrounds across the ACT and surrounding NSW region. Our schools typically accept applications one year before enrolment.
Enrolment information pack
Choosing a school for your child is an important decision. Our enrolment pack contains more information to help you decide.
Enrolment process and timeline
We encourage you to apply in May for enrolment in the following year, which gives your child the best chance of a place in your choice of school, as capacity in our schools is limited. In NSW, if you can’t apply during the May enrolment period, you can do so at any time during the school year.
You’ll receive an offer of enrolment when there’s an available spot for your child at the school.
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Step 1
Find your school
Use the Find a school feature to find a Catholic school near you.
Catholic primary schools in the ACT must give first preference to students who live in their priority enrolment area.
Catholic secondary schools in the ACT and NSW and Catholic primary schools in NSW can accept enrolments from any suburb.
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Step 2
Submit an application
Submit your enrolment application through the school’s website.
Make sure you have electronic documents ready to upload as part of your application.
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Step 3
Wait for notification of the outcome
The school will notify you of the outcome of your enrolment application.
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Step 4
Accept the offer and sign the enrolment contract
If the school has a place for your child, they will send an offer and an enrolment contract to the email address you provided. If you accept the offer, you must sign the contract and send it back to the school.
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Step 5
Begin your journey
Your child will begin their journey with Catholic education.
Enrolment priority levels
We use enrolment priority levels to guide placement decisions to provide a transparent approach to manage enrolment demand within a school. When enrolment applications exceed the number of places available, schools follow clear guidelines to ensure fairness.
If a school cannot offer places to all students within a particular priority level due to limited capacity, additional supportive considerations will be applied.
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Early Learning Centres (ELC)
Children who are turning four before 30 April and:
- Are baptised Catholic who are resident in the Parish and/or designated priority enrolment area.
- Have siblings who attend a Catholic system primary school in the parish or a Catholic system secondary school.
- Are children of staff in the selected ELC and/or associated primary school(s).
- Are baptised Catholic from other parishes or outside of the priority enrolment area who cannot obtain places in their local parish/in-area ELC.
- Are non-Catholic whose parents/guardians desire and are committed to a Catholic Education.
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Primary schools
Children who are turning five before 30 April (ACT) or before 31 July (NSW) and:
- Are baptised Catholic and are members of the designated local parish communities, designated priority enrolment area or, where there is more than one primary school within a parish, the designated priority enrolment area within the parish as agreed from time to time.
- Are siblings of children already attending the selected primary school.
- Are children of staff in the selected primary school.
- Are baptised Catholic from other parishes or outside of the priority enrolment area who cannot obtain places in their local parish or in-area primary school.
- Are non-Catholic whose parents or guardians desire and are committed to a Catholic Education.
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Secondary colleges: 2027 intake year
The following priority levels are being used to assess applications in 2026 for enrolment in 2027.
- Baptised Catholic children who currently attend a Catholic school; or are members of the local parish community in rural areas where a Catholic school is not available.
- Siblings of children already attending the selected secondary school.
- Children of staff in the selected secondary school.
- Children who have been enrolled in a Catholic school for a period of at least 3 consecutive years prior to commencing at the secondary school.
- Baptised Catholic children from schools other than Catholic schools. The family of these children must provide an up-to-date reference from their parish priest indicating that they are practicing Catholics in the parish.
- Baptised Catholic children from schools other than Catholic schools.
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Secondary colleges: 2028 intake year onwards
On 17 April 2026, the Board of Catholic Archdiocese Canberra and Goulburn (CACGEL) agreed to changes to the enromlent priority categories affecting applications made in 2027 for enrolment in 2028. The following priority levels will be used to assess applications in 2027 for enrolment in 2028.
- Baptised Catholic children who currently attend a Catholic school; or are members of the local parish community in rural areas where a Catholic school is not available.
- Children who have been enrolled in a Catholic school for a period of at least 4 years prior to commencing at the secondary school.
- Children of staff employed at the selected secondary school.
- Siblings of children already attending the selected secondary school.
- Children who have been enrolled in a Catholic school for a period of less than 4 years prior to commencing at the secondary school.
- Children of staff employed elsewhere by CACGEL.
- Baptised Catholic children from schools other than Catholic schools. The family of these children must provide an up-to-date reference from their parish priest indicating that they are practicing Catholics in the parish.
- Baptised Catholic children from schools other than Catholic schools who cannot provide a reference from a parish priest.
- Other children whose parents or guardians desire and are committed to Catholic education.
Extra support for families
We understand that every family is different.
If you need support, you can:- speak with the school directly
- ask for help to understand the fees
- ask for financial assistance
- request support for:
- language translation
- children with additional needs
- Defence families
- First Nations families.
Contact us
We encourage you to contact your chosen school to ask questions or for an update on your enrolment application.
For general enquiries about the enrolment process, contact our Enrolment team.
